Ashwin Bhardwaj travels to the cultural heart of Russia, to eat and drink with the locals of St Petersburg April 17, 2019 There are not many places that have left me literally gobsmacked, but the moment I stepped outside the Finljandski Train Station in St Petersburg, I knew that I had arrived somewhere special. It was here, in 1917, that Vladimir Lenin stepped back onto Russian soil after nearly 20 years of exile. He had taken the [...]
Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa review: There’s more to this historic region of France than fizz April 15, 2019 There are plenty of things to do in Champagne, but for starters you’ll probably want to get sozzled on fizz. That is, of course, great fun, but what next? Well, it’s also a beautiful place in its own right, well worthy of exploration. Its hills and forests are a UNESCO World Heritage site and you can [...]
Debate: Given the problems at Wow Air, should we be worried about the future of the airline industry? April 5, 2019 Given the problems at Wow Air, should we be worried about the future of the airline industry? Yes – Anthony Hynes is chief executive of eNett international. With Iceland’s Wow Air and other airlines going bust recently, it’s undeniable that the airline industry is going through some turbulent times. In fact, our recent study shows that [...]
Holiday Homes: New homes in a Renaissance palace set out to convert luxury second home buyers to the charms of Mallorca April 1, 2019 It would be too easy to dismiss Mallorca as simply a package holiday destination crowded with ex-pats and fake-tanned Love Island wannabes. But Palma, the Balearic Island’s elegant and historic capital, has now firmly shaken off its package-holiday past. Once the gateway to Mallorca, Palma is now a high-end destination with two Michelin-starred restaurants, designer [...]
London tourism industry pivots to long-haul markets in the face of Brexit March 24, 2019 Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the royal family: London is blessed with renowned attractions wrapped in tradition and heritage most cities can only dream of. But with Brexit looming, the UK tourism industry, which supports more than one tenth of the country’s jobs, has hit turbulence. Almost every industry representative I spoke with used the [...]
How to make money by doing nothing March 21, 2019 | Sponsored Owning a home in the capital is already the best financial decision you will ever make. But did you know your property could earn its own income, even while you’re living in it? Whether you own a terrace house in Tufnell Park or a pied-a-terre in Pimlico, holiday home rental site HomeAway can help turn [...]
Holiday Homes: We visit the resort in Portugal that’s out to prove that resort golf doesn’t have to be amateur hour March 15, 2019 If you’re serious about golf, but would also like a place in the sun, it’s often hard to find a golf resort with a course that aims above pitch and putt. Monte Rei, a prestigious resort in Portugal in one of Europe’s most sought after golfing destinations, is trying to change all that and be [...]
The inside track on the ultimate in slow cooking at Europe’s biggest annual snail festival, l’Aplec del Caragol March 5, 2019 Since its humble beginnings as a small riverside picnic among friends in 1980 to the grand foodie fiesta it is today, l’Aplec del Caragol occurs every May, about 100 miles northwest of Barcelona in the provincial town of Lleida. The party offers townsfolk and visitors alike a chance to enjoy a weekend celebrating one of [...]
Perched at the top of Courchevel 1850, the ski resort of L’Apogee boasts Michelin stars, Himalayan salt saunas and five-star skiing March 4, 2019 It’s time to join the Russian oligarchs and ladies-who-lunch (on €250 truffle risotto) in the French Alps’ most-exclusive resort, Courchevel. This is a long weekend skiing done right – hundreds of kilometres of piste, ski-in-ski-out hotel accommodation and beyond-5-star luxury in the snow-clad epicentre of 5-star luxury. The stay: Perched at the top of Courchevel [...]
Can a trip to the Douro Valley convince Emma Bullimore that port is palatable? March 1, 2019 Does anybody drink port? Maybe it’s just me, but the red stuff seems a bit redundant. I don’t even remember the last time I saw an advert for it. Whisky is everywhere, it wouldn’t be Christmas without brandy, even sherry is making a comeback. Port, on the other hand, is generally consigned to the back [...]